I used to watch her from my kitchen window．She seemed so small as she struggled her way through the crowd of boys on the playground．The school was across the street from our home and I would often watch the kids as they played during break．I remember the first day I saw her playing basketball．I watched in wonder as she ra
n circles a- round the other kids．She
managed to shoot jump shots just over their heads and into the net．The boys always tried to stop her but no one could．I began to notice her at other times, basketball in hand, playing alone．
One day I asked her why she practiced so much．Without a moment of hesitation she said, "I want to go to college．The only way I can go is to get a scholarship to save money for our family．I am going to play college basketball．I want to be the best．My Daddy told me if the dream is big enough, the facts don't count．" Well, I had to give it to her ?she was determined．I watched her through those junior high years and into high school．Every week, she led her school team to victory．
One day in her senior year, I saw her sitting in the grass, head in her arms．I walked up and sat down in the cool grass beside her．Quietly I asked what was wrong． "Oh, nothing," came a soft reply, "I am just too short．" The coach told her that she would probably never get to play for a top ranked team ?much less offered a scholarship —so she should stop dreaming about college．She was heartbroken and I felt my own throat tighten as I sensed her disappointment．I asked her if she had talked to Father about it yet．She told me that her father said those coaches were wrong．They just did not understand the power of a dream．He told her that if she truly wanted a scholar-ship, nothing could stop her except one thing —her own attitude．
The next year, as she and her team went to the Northern California Championship game, she was offered a scholarship and joined the college team．She was going to get the college education that she had dreamed of．.
The author was probably the girl's___ _．
| A．neighbor | B．friend | C．teacher | D．mother |
.
．Why was the girl's heart broken?
| A．She was considered too short to be a top player． |
| B．Her coach stopped her training because of her height． |
| C．She couldn't be on a college basketball team． |
| D．She wouldn't be admitted by her basketball friends． |
.
We can learn from the passage that ___ _．
| A．her family wouldn't like to pay her college fee |
| B．her father forced her to play basketball in collage |
| C．being a top basketball player can win a scholarship for college |
| D．she wouldn't like to turn to his father for help when in difficulty |
.
．Which proverb best matches the story?
| A．Practice makes perfect． |
| B．Rome was not built in a day． |
| C．Where there is a will, there is a way． |
| D．Pride comes before a fall． |
What should you think about when trying to find your career? You are probably better at some school subjects than others. These may show strengths that you can use in your work. A boy who is good at mathematics can use that in an engineering career. A girl who spells well and likes English may be good at office work. So it is important to know the subjects you do well in at school. On the other hand, you may not have any especially strong subjects but your records show a general satisfactory standard. Although not all subjects can be used directly in a job, they may have indirect value. A knowledge of history is not required for most jobs but if history is one of your good subjects you will have learned to remember facts and details. This is an ability that can be useful in many jobs.
Your school may have taught you skills, such as typing or technical drawing, which you can use in your work. You may be good at metalwork or cookery and look for a job where you can improve these skills. If you have had a part-time job on Saturdays or in the summer, think what you gained from it. If nothing else, you may have learned how to get to work on time, to follow instructions and to get on with older workers. You may have learned to give correct change in a shop, for example. Just as important, you may become interested in a particular industry or career you see from the inside in a part-time job.
Facing your weak points is also part of knowing yourself. You may be all thumbs when you handle tools; perhaps you are a poor speller or cannot add up a column of figures. It is better to face any weakness than to pretend they do not exist. Your school record, for instance, may not be too good, yet it is an important part of your background. You should not be apologetic(认错的) about it but instead recognize that you will have a chance of a fresh start at work. What is the passage mainly about?
| A．The importance of working hard at school. |
| B．Choosing a career according to one’s strengths. |
| C．How to face one’s weakness. |
| D．The value of school work. |
The writer thinks that a student have a part-time job is probably ______.
| A．a good way to find out his weak points |
| B．one of the best ways of earning extra money |
| C．of great use for his work in the future |
| D．a waste of time he could have spent on study |
From the passage we learn that if a student’s school performance is not good, he _______.
| A．should pay more attention to learning skills and developing abilities |
| B．will be regretful about his bad results |
| C．may also do well in his future work |
| D．should restart his study in school |
The underlined phrase “be all thumbs” (in Para 3) probably means “_______”.
| A．be clumsy at doing things |
| B．be skillful in doing things |
| C．be not interested in certain things |
| D．be easily bored in doing things |
Dr. Glenn Tisman, a cancer specialist, knew his young neighbor, Ray Bateman, had an unusual mind. But he had no idea at the time that 12 - year – old Ray had the ability to become his partner in cancer research.
Ray’s parents remembered that at age four, Ray surprised them by fixing a broken vacuum cleaner（吸尘器）. When he was ten, he speedily constructed the family color television from a kit. Later, he succeeded in assembling（组装） a complex stereo system after two experts had failed to do the job.
When Ray was ten, he convinced his parents to buy him a computer. In a short time, Ray was able to do amazing things with the computer. Ray shared his enthusiasm for computers with Dr. Tisman, who used a computer for his research. The two discussed computers and medicine frequently. Amazingly, Ray understood the biology and chemistry related to Dr. Tisman’s medical research without any previous instruction.
Ray then worked with Dr. Tisman after school. He helped conduct research with the equipment and kept it in working order. The purpose of the research was to test the effectiveness of mixing an old cancer drug with certain vitamins. Ray analyzed patient test results by computer, while Dr. Tisman handled all patient contact. Together, they came up with solid research that helped advance cancer treatment.
In 1988, 14 - year - old Ray went with Dr. Tisman to a meeting of the American Federation for Clinical Research（AFCR）, where Ray presented their initial research findings. Using terminology（术语） beyond the grasp of most kids his age, Ray told the scientists how the new drug mixture caused fewer and milder side effects for cancer patients.
A year later, Ray returned to the meeting to update the findings of his and Dr. Tisman’s research. By then, he had become well - known for his devotion to finding cures for sick patients. Stories about him appeared in hundred of newspapers around the world. He appeared on television newscasts and talk shows.
Ray continued to spend most free hours working with Dr. Tisman. The two began studying the effects of vitamins on babies inside the womb（子宫）. However, Ray’s main interest remained cancer treatment, and he continues his research today. According to the passage, Ray______.
| A．is a boy of many gifts |
| B．is very helpful to his parents |
| C．learned fast under Dr. Tisman’s instruction |
| D．stopped working with Dr. Tisman after his success |
What do we know about Dr. Tisman?
| A．He succeeded in finding cures for cancer. |
| B．He made a new discovery in cancer treatment. |
| C．He convinced Ray to become a partner of him. |
| D．He taught Ray knowledge related to his research. |
What made Ray first known to the medical world?
| A．His presentation at AFCR. |
| B．His great skills in computer. |
| C．His devotion to cancer research. |
| D．His appearance on television newscasts. |
Dr. Tisman’s research is aimed at ______.
| A．providing different cancer treatments |
| B．proving the effects of vitamins on babies |
| C．finding the side effects of a cancer drug |
| D．testing the effectiveness of a new drug mixture |
Pierre is a 25-year-old penguin at the California Academy of Sciences. Due to his old age, he was going bald, which made him feel too cold to swim in the pool. Therefore, biologists at the academy had a wetsuit created for this penguin to help him get back in the swimming pool.
Unlike marine mammals, which have a layer of fat to keep them warm, penguins depend on their waterproof feathers. Without them, Pierre was unwilling to jump into the swimming pool and ended up trembling on the side of the pool while his 19 peers played in the water.
"He was cold; he would shake," said Pam Schaller, a senior biologist. Schaller first tried a heat lamp to keep Pierre warm. Then she got another idea: if wetsuits keep humans warm in the cold Pacific, why not make one for Pierre?
Schaller designed the suit, which covered Pierre’s body and had small openings for his flippers.
“I would walk behind him and look at where there were any gaps, and cut and refit and cut and refit until it looked like it was extremely suitable,” she said.
One concern was that the other penguins would reject Pierre in his new suit, but in fact, they accepted his new look. He swam freely and got along with others well, although he was the only penguin with a black stomach.
Schaller couldn’t say for sure whether the wetsuit allowed Pierre to recover his fine feathers, but “certainly we were able to keep him comfortable during a period of time that would have been very difficult for him to stay comfortable”.
Pierre will take off his suit after his new feathers grow back. Pierre felt too cold to swim in the pool because of _____.
| A．not having a layer of blubber |
| B．having few feathers due to old age |
| C．having no wetsuit |
| D．others penguins rejecting him |
The idea of making a wetsuit for Pierre came from _____.
| A．total invention |
| B．waterproof feathers |
| C．the use of wetsuit on humans |
| D．the use of heat lamp |
Schaller followed Pierre in order to see _____.
| A．whether other penguins would reject him |
| B．if anywhere of wetsuit needed to be cut and refit |
| C．if the wetsuit kept warm |
| D．whether the wetsuit would keep the feathers from recovering |
The best title of the passage is _____.
| A．Wetsuit for An Old Penguin |
| B．Old Penguin Getting Bald |
| C．Unwilling to Swim |
| D．Strange Look of PierreＢ |
Anne and Joseph are talking about an interesting question. Why do some people change their names? There can be many reasons. Hanna changed her name to Anne because she thought it would be easier for people to remember. On the other hand, Joseph is thinking about changing his name to an unusual name because he wants to be different.
People have a lot of reasons for changing their names. Film stars, singers, sportsmen and some other famous people often change their names because they want names that are not ordinary, or that have special sound. They chose the “new name” for themselves instead of the name their parents gave them when they were born.
Some people have another reason for changing their names. They have moved to a new country and want to use a name that is usual there. For example, Li Kaiming changed his name to Ken Lee when he moved to the United States. He uses the name Ken at his job and at school. But with his family and Chinese friends, he uses Li Kaiming. For some people, using different names makes life easier in their new country.
In many countries, a woman changes her family name to her husband’s after she gets married. But today, many women are keeping their own family name and not using their husband’s. Sometimes, women use their own name in some situations（情况）and their husband’s in other situations. And some use both their own name and their husband’s.Hanna changes her name to Anne because “Anne” is for people to remember.
| A．louder | B．easier | C．prettier | D．harder |
Famous people want their new names to .
| A．have special sound | B．be ordinary |
| C．have no meaning | D．be unknown |
Mr. Li uses his new name when he .
| A．stays with his family | B．is at his job |
| C．is among Chinese friends | D．comes back to China |
Which of the following statement is TRUE?
| A．Women have to change their names when they get married. |
| B．Women can’t use their husband’s name without permission. |
| C．If a singer becomes famous, he or she has to change his or her name. |
| D．Some people changed their names in order to get much more attentions. |
What is the best title（标题）of this passage ?
| A．Family Names | B．Women’s Names |
| C．Changing Names | D．Special Names |
Everyone knows that exercise is important. We all need to exercise. Doctors say it is good for us. It makes your heart and body strong. Children who often exercise are more alert (灵活). This means they do better in tests and schoolwork than those who don’t exercise.
There are many ways to exercise. You can walk, run, swim, skate, or play ball games. Make sure you exercise in the following ways; you have to like what you’re doing. Exercise enough— but not too much. It’s best to exercise twice each week, Thirty minutes each time is enough. Try all kinds of things until you find one, two or even three sports that feel right for you.
You can exercise at fitness centers. They have a lot of equipment（设备）there. The equipment will help to exercise your arms, legs and other parts of your body to make you fit. Some people buy equipment for their homes. But it is very expensive.
Exercising can be fun. Friends can exercise together at a fitness center or they can play sports together. How do you exercise?In the text, the writer tells us that we all need to .
| A．drink | B．sleep | C．exercise | D．work |
Which of the following sports is not mentioned (提到) in the next?
| A．Fishing | B．Running | C．Swimming | D．Walking |
The words “fitness centers” in the next mean .
| A．商务中心 | B．健身中心 | C．购物中心 | D．医疗中心 |
The sentence, Children who often exercise are more alert, tells us that people who often exercise can do better in .
| A．running | B．skate | C．swim | D．studies |
Exercising can be fun, because .
| A．it makes your heart and body strong |
| B．it makes you study better |
| C．people can buy equipment for their home |
| D．friends can play sports together |